


The Christmas Glimpse

by lexiatel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-21 18:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17048528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexiatel/pseuds/lexiatel
Summary: Draco is given a glimpse of what life could be if he'd only open his heart a little.





	1. Chapter 1

**AN: Well, I figured since it's Christmas time, I'd write a Christmas themed story. I literally wrote this in two days. It's short, but very cozy. Probably has a few mistakes, but I feel the story will trump such 'minor' errors, hehe! Get ready for some toothaches, guys because it's just THAT sweet (yeah, I stole that from you, Joani *winks*)**

**This story has seven chapters; it's complete, but I'm not releasing it all at once.**

**Have a glorious holiday, people! Stay merry and bright!**

* * *

"This is unacceptable!" Draco snapped the folder closed and threw it down onto his desk where it slid across to the other side. Miss Granger had to catch it to keep it from crashing to the floor.

He had upset her, he could tell. Her lips thinned, and she had stiffened.

"What is?" she dared to ask.

"Everyone missed their quotas for the season," he stated boredly.

"To no fault of our own. We worked our tails off—"

"I don't care if you worked your fingers to the bone, you still missed the quotas."

"Mr. Malfoy," Miss Granger started calmly— he truly admired her self control, unfortunately that was the only thing he could like about her. She had been hired to increase his business's potion production, and she had failed to reach the marks that he had set. It was such a pity too, she had come highly recommended— "We cannot help that there was a shortage of Polly Zong feathers—"

Draco leaned back into his chair. "Excuses," he interrupted without a care in the world. "You missed your mark, Miss Granger. You are fired, and Christmas bonuses have been canceled."

"Canceled?" she whispered, horrified over the thought. Draco found it strange that she reacted to the bonus cancelation over her being fired. One certainly trumped over the other.

" _Canceled_ ," he stressed with a smirk. "No work, no play. Good luck at your next job. I can only hope you put much more effort in your future than you did here."

"You can't cancel the bonuses!" she cried, standing up.

"I can't?" Draco challenged with a lift of his eyebrow. "That's funny, I thought this business is in my name. It _is_ my name on the sign outside this building, is it not?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then, your statement is false." He waved her off. "Try to enjoy your holiday."

"Oh, but _please_ reconsider, Mr. Malfoy! Neville Longbottom's daughter is sick, you see—"

"I'm sorry, but do I look like some _charity_ worker to you?"

Her mouth clamped shut with a set of her jaw. "No," she emphasized slowly. "I was just thinking that since it's Christmas—"

"Maybe you should just stop thinking, for once, hmm? It really isn't your best quality." Draco than busied himself, choosing to ignore her, hoping she'd take the hint that he was through with her. The door slammed soon after, indicating her departure.

At the manor, he kicked off his boots and set up his feet, hollering for his house elf.

"You has called Dobby, sir?"

"Bring me some firewhiskey, it's been a tiresome, disappointing day— and turn that holiday music off, would you?!"

"Dobby just thought that the master—"

"What _is_ it with the thinking today?!" Draco demanded. "If I wanted the blasted music on, I would have requested it!"

"Yes, master, Dobby apologizes."

Draco sighed when the music went off, content with the silence. Much better. He chugged his first drink of firewhiskey and dug into a book on experimental potions, trying to decide which one he wanted to introduce for the following spring.

He must had fallen asleep, because he had woken up a while later, slightly cold. The elves didn't stock the fire as hot during the night, since Draco was usually in a bed, buried under several blankets.

He rubbed his cold arms and stood up from his chair, yawning, readying himself for a long walk to his room. Draco jumped when he saw a body blocking his path at the doorway that separated the hall and his study.

"Merlin!" he gasped. He couldn't speak any additional words, his lips trembling in fright.

"Draco," the ghostly woman spoke softly. "Oh, my sweet Draco, what has become of you, but a bitter, lonely man."

"Moth-Mother?" he choked. "Is that… really you?"

"It is I, yes, darling. I heard you calling for help."

"Help?" Her statement confused him. "I never called for help?"

"Maybe not consciously, but your soul screams for it, sweetheart." She floated to him and sett her hand to his cheek.

He closed his eyes, letting a tiny smile form to his lips, relishing over his mother's warm touch. Oh, how he had missed it.

"Oh, Mother, you don't know how much I miss you!"

She nodded sympathetically. "I know, but you must go on. You cannot live in such bitterness and hate!"

"I don't know how," he admitted sadly. "After you died, all I had left was the business, and it seems even _that's_ going to the pits! I'm at a lost, I really am!"

"And that is why I'm here, I'm going to make things all better for you!"

He lifted his head up, burrowing his eyes into her transparent ones. "You are? How?"

"I'm going to show you what you could have, if you'll only open your heart."

He suddenly felt very tired, and his eyes drooped close. Draco tried to open them back up, but they were too heavy with tiredness.

Hours later, sunlight streaked through the curtains, shining onto his face. Draco groaned and stretched himself into a wake. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He remembered the dream he had the night before and promised himself to lay off the booze for a couple days.

"Dobby?" he called out, climbing out of bed. The elf usually had breakfast ready for him, but he didn't smell the meal like he usually would. "Dobby?!"

"Hmm?"

Draco leaped away from the bed. The voice was not elf like, instead, it was female. He eyed the large mound over that was buried in a pile of festive-looking blankets. He wondered where the elves had gotten that hurl-fest, and would see that the bed set was burnt as soon as possible.

But really, what confused him the most was the woman who had been laying beside him. He didn't remember inviting anyone over for the night.

"Draco," the muffle sound of the woman's voice murmured groggily. "Come back to bed, dear. It's still early."

"And who are you?" he asked slowly, trying to recollect what exactly happened the night before. He only had three drinks. That certainly wasn't enough to bed a random woman off the street!

The woman lifted her head which was still semi-buried in the vibrant red and green blanket. "I'm your wife, silly!" she said with a chuckle.

"Uh…" He stepped forward, leaning over the bed, wondering if he heard her correctly. "Excuse me… did you just say _wife_?"

The woman pulled the blanket off her head, to look at him. "Yes," she answered firmly eyeing him over.

"Miss… _Granger_ …?" He backed up far away, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. "Wait… did we—" Draco pointed to her and thumbed to himself. —did you and I— How much did we drink last night?!"

That got her full attention, and she sat up in bed, looking like he was absolutely crazy."What on earth are you talking about?!"

He eyed over her messy, bushy hair, never knowing it was naturally so… _wild_. All the times he had seen her it had been neatly tied up into a perfect bun. "Merlin, Granger, your hair really looks awful in the mornings!"


	2. This is not a Dream

Miss Granger's eyes narrowed, insulted by his comment. "You have never complained about my hair. You've always said it was lovely."

"I've never in my life made a comment to your hair before this day, and I—" He was cut off by a cry of a child. "The bloody hell is that?!" he demanded in alarm.

"It's your turn is what it is," Miss Granger grumbled, laying back down and covering her head with a pillow.

"My turn for what? Where'd that baby come from— did you bring a baby here? I didn't know you had children, Miss Granger."

She unburied her head to look at him again. "Did you hit or head or something?"

"What?"

"That's exactly what I'm asking. And why are you calling me Miss Granger? You haven't called me that since before we were married."

The child was now screaming with demands, and it was starting to penetrate Draco's head. "Do something about that baby!"

"Well, _you're_ his father, and it's _your_ turn!"

"Are you insane, woman?!" he hissed, trying all that he could not to shout at her. "I'm no father! I have no kids, I have no wife—" He stopped in mid-sentence, catching sight of something that sat on the cupboard next to the bed. It was a picture of he and Miss Granger. A wedding picture. He snatched it up with shaking hands, gawking at it.

"What's going on?!" But the woman didn't answer him, she was no longer in the room. The baby cries mellowed down shortly after, and he stumbled out of the room, his eyes wandering around in horror.

This wasn't his Manor!

It was smaller, _incredibly_ smaller— crammed more like. And there were family pictures and decorations for Christmas all over the walls. Most of them were messily made with red and green ink scribbles like an invalid had attempted to draw an abundance of holiday icons.

What in Merlin's name was going on?!

"Daddy!" a child squealed suddenly, making him jump, and he heard footsteps pounding up to him. A split-second later, something attacked him from behind, and he let out a yelp.

Tiny hands linked around his leg, and the little girl that latched herself to him was in a series of giggles. "It's Christmas Eve!" she exclaimed with excitement, her white head of curls bounced with excitement. "Can we make treats for Father Christmas?!"

"I'm not your—"

"Honestly, Draco, can't you put on a robe?" Miss Granger stood at a doorway down the hall with baby hung at her hip. He was currently shirtless, in just a pair of shorts.

The baby started whimpering at the sight of Draco. "Here, take Rigel, I'll get Anna dressed." Before Draco could protest, the baby had been shoved into his arms.

"Papa!" the baby said, stuffing a holiday themed toy into his mouth.

Draco looked at him and then to the room that Miss Granger had disappeared into with the little girl.

"Are you going to get dressed or not?!"

Draco's head was in a swirl of confusion. He went back to the bedroom that he had woken up in to find his wand, setting the baby onto the bed.

"Bouss!" the child squealed, breathing hard in excitement and stumbling to climb up to his feet where he awkwardly began jumping in place. He fell backward and burst out into happy giggles.

Draco scoured the room for his wand, keeping an eye on the baby to make sure he didn't wonder too close to the edge where he could fall off.

"Ah-ha!" Draco cheered when he found it. Now he could get out of this hell hole and apparate to the Manor! He set the baby on the floor where he could safety crawl around, and then Draco cast the spell.

Nothing happened.

He eyed his wand over. It didn't appear to be broken. To test it, he pointed it to the bed, and with a spell it was neatly made.

Strange…

"Oh, good, you made the bed already!" Miss Granger said with gratitude. "Get dressed, I'll meet you down in the kitchen!" She then scooped up the baby who had crawled over to her and walked off.

_I've got to get out of here! These people are crazy!_

Draco found an exit out the back, and he shivered instantly when he stepped out into the snowy winter that greeted him. A broom was propped up by the door, and he snatched it, taking off in a heartbeat.

"Where are you going?"

Draco skidded to a sudden halt. The ghost of his mother appeared directly in front of him.

"You can't leave your family on Christmas!"

"Those people aren't my family! They're a bunch of crazies! That woman is mad, and she's whacked up her children too!"

Mother bowed her head. "They are your family for the moment, Draco. And only when you accept them as such will you be allowed to go back to your original life."

" _What_?" he demanded. She said no more, disappearing into the blizzardy wind.

"Mother!" he cried. "Come back! Don't do this to me! Please!"

She did not answer his pleas.

 

 


	3. Home Alone

"What happened?" Miss Granger gasped when Draco had returned. He was a cold mess, having gone out in his sleeping clothing without even any shoes.

Draco cupped the mug she handed to him to warm up his fingers. "I-I went ou-out!" he told her with chattering teeth. "It's fr-freezing out th-there!"

Miss Granger waved her wand over him. "You're not ill, but sheesh Draco, you're making no sense today!"

He sipped at his tea, thinking about his mother's words. And then he remembered the dream he had the night before about his mother coming to help him with his life.

Draco looked around the table to see that Miss Granger and the two children were watching him. The baby had a mess of jam spread across his face, and the girl was in mid-bite of a piece of toast.

Mother said this was his family now. These were his children… The thought of being a father flustered him. How could he have procreated? And with Miss Granger of all people…?! She certainly wasn't his type! She was stiff and annoying,a heavily opinionated know-it-all!

How in the bloody hell did they end up tying the knot?!

This wasn't real, he recalled. Mother said that she would show him what life could be if he would open his heart some. Married to Granger with two young, screaming children and a tiny house? _This_ was his married life? Why weren't they living in his Manor?! Where were his elves?! What happened to his business? Did he even have money anymore?

"Are you at all listening to me?"

He looked up to see that Miss Granger was impatiently tapping her foot.

"I'm just trying to make sense of all this…"

"I already explained this to you a week ago, I feel you never listen to me anymore!"

' _A week ago, this life didn't even exist!'_ Draco's mind screamed.

"Now, I'll only be gone a few hours," she said, buttoning up a jacket.

" _Wait_!" He panicked, shooting up from his chair at the dining table. "You're leaving?"

"Yes," she answered slowly, slightly scratching at her head, as if she was trying to remember something that she had forgotten. "I _just_ reminded you that I have some last minute things to do at the office."

"You're going to leave me here? Alone? With-with _them_?!" Draco gestured helplessly toward the children.

Miss Granger shook her head. "I don't have time for this," she decided, kissing the baby on the top of his head, and then doing the same to the little girl. "Don't forget, you have to make cookies for Father Christmas!"

She went to plant a kiss to Draco's cheek but he darted out of the way, chuckling nervously. The thought of her lips touching made him blush a little.

"You are so strange today," she told him with another shake of her head, and then she was gone.

The children looked at Draco, expecting something of him.

"Stop looking at me like that!" He walked out and back to the bedroom with the little girl right at his heels.

"Are you really my daddy?" she questioned suspiciously.

"Um…" He turned around to see that she had her head tilted a little. "I guess, for right now, I'm supposed to be…"

"But you're not my _real_ daddy? Have you used some polyjuice? Where _is_ my real daddy?"

"How old are you, kid?"

She raised up her index finger, as if to chastise him. "My real daddy would know this!"

"Well, little girl, your real daddy has evidently left the building at the moment." He opened the closet, hoping to find a suit to wear, and smiled with relief. At least one thing stayed the same in this life!

"When will he be back?"

"I don't know, kid. I'm as clueless as you."

"My name is Anna," she told him. "So you don't have to call me kid anymore."

"Alright," he acknowledged slowly, making a mental note to himself. "If you wouldn't mind, _Anna_ , I would like if you left me alone for a few minutes to dress."

"Okay! And when you're finished, we can clean up the kitchen and make cookies!"

"Oh, joy to the world," he drawled out sarcastically, shutting the door behind her.

There was a mirror on the other side of the door, and he used that to tidy himself up, finding everything he would normally use in his previous life in an adjoining bathroom. He must have had some money still, most of the products he used weren't cheap.

Back in the kitchen, Anna was washing the face of her little brother with a cloth, and the baby was starting to fuss unhappily because of it.

"He won't hold still," she complained.

"What do you want me to do about it?"

She rolled her eyes and let out a huff. "Well, you _are_ the daddy!"

Draco sat down with a groan, setting a hand up to his forehead. "Listen kid—"

"You _have_ to call me Anna!"

Draco inhaled deeply, trying to keep calm. It seemed 'his' daughter was very much like her mother; persistent.

He nearly shuddered over the thought of Miss Granger being his wife.. He couldn't think about her right now. One step at a time.

"I'm sorry, Anna, but this is all so completely new to me, alright? This is literally my first day as a father. I might need just a bit of help. Would you care to assist me? I would greatly appreciate it."

The girl beamed with delight, and she stretched up onto on her tiptoes. "Of course I'll help you, Daddy!"

"Great!" He heaved out a sigh of relief. "So what's the first thing I should do?"

"Well," she sung out, looking at her brother through the corners of her eyes. "You might want to change Rigel's nappy!"


	4. Daddy's Little Helper

"Oh, Merlin's Beard!" Draco hollered, tucking his nose into his shirt. "The bloody hell did this kid eat?!" The sight of the dirty, filthy bum of the baby nearly made him gag.

"My real daddy uses his wand to clean up Rigel's poopsie messes," Anna kindly supplied, holding out the man's wand.

"Are you usually this helpful, or are you just taking pity on me?" Draco asked when the baby was free of any mess.

"I'm often Daddy's Little Helper," she informed with a proud nod.

"What the—" Something squirted Draco, and he looked up, wondering where the water came from.

Anna laughed. "Silly Daddy, it was Rigel, he wee'd on you!" She had a hand to her mouth, trying to conceal her laughter, thoroughly amused.

Draco didn't match her mood in the slightest. "Ugh!" he shrieked. "That's _revolting_!"

"I guess that's why my real daddy stands here—" She demonstrated by moving to a precise spot beside the changing table— instead of at the end where Draco was currently standing, in direct shot of Old Faithful.

"Now you tell me," he muttered, wiping the disgusting substance off with a baby nappy wipe.

"Am I doing this right?" he asked the girl several moments later. Rigel, who had previously been quite tolerant of the task, was now becoming restless from having been pinned down on the changing table for so long. His started kicking his legs, letting out a screech, making Draco's job much more difficult.

"I think it needs to be a little tighter," Anna suggested after a look. "If it's too loose, Rigel will just wiggle out of it."

"Well, we did it," Draco finally announced after re-adjusting the nappy to Anna's satisfaction. He stood the boy up onto his feet, testing the nappy's durability. "Thanks, kid— err, I mean, thank you, Anna."

She gave him a thumbs-up. "That's what I'm here for!"

"I've never made cookies before," Draco regrettably announced a while later. He and the children were once again in the kitchen, getting out an abundance of ingredients to make gingerbread men.

"No, kid, don't do… _that_ …!" Rigel had spilt a bag of flour all over the table, causing a white, puffy cloud of dust. The baby now looked like he was part ghost!

"Snow!" he squealed with a giggle.

"It's a good thing we're not Muggles," Anna stated after Draco had 'vacuumed' up the mess with a spell. "That's no fun to clean up without magic."

"Indeed," Draco agreed.

"Mummy has a recipe that we can use for the cookies." Anna opened up a drawer and pulled out a recipe box.

Draco thumbed through the box, stopping at a particular recipe card. He pulled it out, staring at it with misting eyes.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked, putting a hand to his back, noticing that he looked sad.

"This was my mother's pudding recipe," he explained with immense trouble. His throat ached from swallowing back a sob. "She used to make it for me every Christmas."

"You must miss her a lot, huh?" Her voice was quiet.

"She meant more to me than _anything_."

"We could make this recipe too," Anna told him. "After we're done with the cookies."

Draco's lips formed a tiny smile. "That would be lovely."

They got busy on the cookies then, carefully measuring the ingredients, following the directions strictly.

"Rigel wants to help," Anna said when the baby had climbed up onto the table, sticking his hand into the beginning of the dough.

"This is one wild child!" Draco exclaimed, snatching him off of the table, and scooping him up into his arms.

"Down!" the baby demanded. "Me go down!"

"We _don't_ climb on the table," Draco scolded him firmly. He set him back into a chair and pulled the bowl toward them. "You can pour in the sugar." Rigel was happy enough with that. Only half of it actually made it into the bowl though.

"It's too soft," Anna said once the dough had been made and rolled out. Draco had set the cookie cutters into the dough, but when he went to lift them, the dough stuck to the cutters and quickly fell apart in ugly, brown blobs.

"Do we add more flour?"

Anna tapped a finger to her chin. "I think my real daddy put it in the frigerator so that it got cold."

"That could work."

When it was thoroughly chilled, the cutters worked beautifully, and after two pans of burnt cookies, the third one came out perfect.

"Three times a charm," Draco said, relieved to finally have made an edible dozen.

"Father Christmas sure better like these," Anna said. "We've put a lot of work into them!"

"I have no doubt that he'll gobble them right up."

"My real daddy is much better at this than you are," Anna told him when they began decorating the gingerbread men. Draco's cookie was as messy as Rigel's who had also been given a cookie and decorating supplies. Naturally, the baby found the icing incredibly more interesting, and his fingers were covered in assorted colours of goop.

"Give me a break, this is my first time decorating a bloody cookie!"

"You never did it before? Not even as a little boy?"

Draco's lips thinned. "No."

"Well, why not?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions?"

"On average, kids my age ask almost 300 questions a _day_!"

"Should you even know that?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "That's what your parenting magazine says."

"I read parenting magazines?" he asked her doubtfully.

"Well, my real daddy does."

"Tell me, does your real daddy work?"

She nodded, heavily focused on her cookie, trying to place a "button" just in the right spot. "Yes."

"And what does he do?"

"He takes care of me and Rigel."

"But he doesn't go _out_ and work?"

"Sometimes he does, but he spends more of his time with us. We like that."

"So I don't make any money?"

"You don't have to. You have money. Lots of it."

"Why aren't we using and of it? Why are we living here and not some place more… extravagant?"

"I'm only five, Daddy. Finances aren't my specialty. Maybe you should ask Mummy those questions when she gets home."


	5. Acceptance

"Those look amazing, you guys!" Miss Granger told them when Anna insisted that she have a look at their decorated gingerbread men.

"Fake Daddy doesn't know how to decorate very well," Anna informed her, pointing out Draco's sad pile cookies. "He also burnt two pans of cookies!"

"Fake Daddy?" her mother questioned, shifting her eyes to Draco.

Draco shrugged. "The cookie thing is still new to me."

Miss Granger's eyebrows creased. "You bake cookies fairly often, Draco."

"Ah, but do I _decorate_ them?"

"No but—"

"Well, there you have it."

"That doesn't explain the burnt cookies," Anna oh-so-helpfully pointed out. "He's learning though!" With a toothy smile, she took her brother by the hand and led him out of the room.

"Are you having some sort of mid-life crisis or something?"

"Why don't I work?" he asked instantly, ignoring her question, finding it not as important as his.

Miss Granger shook out of her jacket and hung it on a hook by the door. The question puzzled her. "You _do_ work. Pretty hard too, if you ask me. I know it isn't easy being with the children all day."

"No, I mean like a real job."

"You don't work at a normal job because you chose to be with the kids…" she explained to him slowly, still confused with his question. "Are you telling me that you want to go back to work?"

"I _chose_ to be a… _house-husband_ …?" He was disgusted with the thought.

"Okay, sweety, I _really_ need to know what's wrong with you, because you're starting to freak me out a little." She took a seat in an oversize arm chair, looking at him, expecting an explanation.

Draco covered his mouth, stopping himself from blurting out the truth. She'd probably think he was crazy if he told her what had actually happened to him.

"I don't remember anything about our marriage or this family," he admitted with a toss of his hands, saying the first thing that came to his mind. "It's like I've got amnesia or something!"

She frowned in absolute concern. "Nothing at all?"

"I don't know if I got into something I shouldn't have or whatever, but it's like… every memory that involves you and the kids has… _vanished_."

"We should take you to a Healer," she suggested, standing back up.

"No! Not that!" Draco panicked. They'd certainly send him to the mental ward! "Maybe… just…" He looked at the beautiful Christmas tree that was ameturely decorated, and he couldn't help smiling, knowing that Anna and Rigel likely had participated in its decorating. "Maybe my memory will come back shortly. Perhaps I just need to experience a normal, family Christmas."

"Just let me do one more test, okay?" She grabbed for her wand. "I want to make sure there isn't anything too serious."

He stood there, permitting her to cast her spell, but nothing gave her the alert that anything was physically wrong with him.

"Perhaps a potion cure? Maybe you somehow drank a forgetfulness potion?"

Draco chuckled softly, tickled that she was anxious to help him. She definitely wouldn't have in his previous life, not after the way he had treated her. His smile faded at that thought. He didn't deserve this woman. He had never before seen someone so kind and caring— or at least never took the time to notice.

Miss Granger touched his cheek upon noticing that his facial expression had change. "It'll be okay, these things don't usually last long unless you've been cursed by something."

He touched her hand, stunned at how warm and calming it felt against his skin. Draco looked into her kind, chestnut eyes, and he was momentarily mesmerized by them. "I never realized how beautiful your eyes are," he found himself whispering.

Miss Granger blushed. "Well, just so you know, you _do_ tell me that everyday." She then pressed a kiss to his cheek and left him standing alone in the family room, claiming that she would have dinner ready shortly.

Draco held a hand to his face, relishing over the fluffy, cozy sensation that her simple kiss had left behind. No touch had ever made him feel this way before.

He turned on his heel to meet up with Miss Granger, not wanting the fuzzy feeling to go away, enjoying it just a bit too much.

"Do you need help?"

Miss Granger smiled from her spot at the stove where she was stirring the contents of a pot. "Are you sure you remember how?" The question was meant to be a joke, Draco thought, but she waited for him to respond, just in case he truly didn't know. Her inquiry likely stemmed from the fact that he had 'forgotten' how to bake cookies.

"I'll manage. Perhaps start me off with something simple."

"Could you cut me up some carrots then?"

"I'd be delighted to."

In his previous life, Draco never had assisted in cooking a meal, but he found that he actually enjoyed it.

Well, so long as Miss Granger was beside him the whole while anyway.


	6. Let the Season Take Wing

"What's that you got there?" Draco took the book that Rigel held out to him, and he and Anna climbed up into his lap.

"It's tradition for you to read _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ on Christmas Eve," Miss Granger informed, settling herself next to them on Draco's right. She snuggled into him, and he nervously cleared his throat when his pulse sped up. He could faintly smell her pumpkin spice perfume. He had to hide a smile.

"Well, I don't remember ever reading a children's book before, but it seems like I'm trying out a lot of new things today, so why not."

"The Grinch can't do that!" shrieked out Anna when Draco read that he stole the Christmas tree.

"Bad Dinct!" Rigel smacked at the picture of the green, hairy monster.

Miss Granger giggled. "Anna knows the story by heart, but she always reacts like this is her first read."

"It's more fun that way," the girl said: her tone matter of fact. "Rigel's too young to know," she added the last in a whisper.

The baby let out a happy hum, and squawked out, poking Draco in his eye.

"Hey, watch where you're sticking that thing!" Draco yelped, rubbing at his now-sore eyeball.

Rigel laughed. "Book!"

"He wants you to finish," Anna supplied.

"Well, that's not the way to encourage me!" They all laughed at that.

"See, Rigel," Anna declared when Draco finished his read. "The Grinch was just lonely, and he was feeling left out. He wasn't really bad after all!"

"Come on, you two," Miss Granger said, lifting up Rigel into her arms, and setting him at her hip. "Let's get ready for bed."

"The sooner we sleep, the sooner Father Christmas will come!" Anna jumped up with excitement, skipping out of the room, calling out, "Don't forget to put the cookies out!"

"And a nice, cold butterbeer," Miss Granger added, winking at Draco before carrying Rigel off upstairs.

Draco went to fetch the butterbeer to put next to the plate of cookies. When he returned to the cookies, he smiled, catching sight of the one that Anna had dedicated to him. He picked it up, plucking off the frosted yellow hair that she had given the cookie to represent Draco's blond hair. He popped the sugar crust into his mouth, letting it dissolve, thinking on the wild day he just had.

It was strange, for sure, but thoroughly enjoyable, even if every inch of his body was completely tired. Watching after young children was certainly no cakewalk.

"My real Daddy always kisses me good night," Anna insisted when he went to bid her a good night.

"I don't normally kiss people," he said lowly.

"Oh, but you should!" she told him with wide eyes. "Kisses tell people how much you love them!" Anna then looked away with a frown. "My real Daddy loves me."

Draco's lips thinned. He inhaled a quiet, deep breath before leaning down to quickly peck her on the forehead.

Before he could stand back up, she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him back on his nose. She released him with a giggle and buried herself under her very-pink bedspread. "Love you, Daddy!"

Draco smiled. His chest felt suddenly heavy. "Night, night Anna." He turned her light out and walked to the doorway. "Love you," he whispered very softly before he moved on to his next child.

Rigel was already laying in his crib with half-shut eyes. They momentarily opened fully before he shut them, as if the baby had been forcing his eyes to stay open until he saw his father one last time for the night.

"Good night, son," Draco bid him softly, setting a hand to his chest, noticing that his hand about covered it. The baby's chest heaved up in a deep, content sigh, before his breathing slowed into a rhythm of sleep.

Carefully, as to not wake Rigel, he leaned over the crib to give him a delicate kiss on his head.

"Well, they're asleep," Draco announced to Miss Granger when he made his return down stairs. She handed him a mug of hot chocolate to which he took a sip of.

"It never takes long for them, not when you put them to bed. Now _me_ , Anna finds any excuse not to sleep. It could be because she spends less time with me, and she wants to make every second last."

"What do you do for work?"

"I run the potion business you started."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "So you just… took over?"

She smiled. "I offered to after Rigel was born. You were so proud of our little boy." Her eyes went out of focus, and her smile widened. "You loved Anna, but we both knew you wanted a son _so_ bad. You couldn't _wait_ to teach him out to play Quidditch!"

"Do I play favourites?" Draco asked, fearing that he did.

Miss Granger shook her head. "You are perfect with them— so patient, so calm. I've never heard you yell at them. They simply adore you, and you adore them."

Draco sat down, thinking on that, sipping at his hot chocolate. "It's sad that I don't remember any of this." _It was also sad that none of this was real._

Miss Granger gave him a sympathetic look and sat down next to him, draping an arm around him. "You will. Your memory will return."

"And if it doesn't?"

She hugged him tightly, putting her head on his shoulder. "Then we create new memories."

They sat like that for several minutes, lost in their thoughts.

"Why don't we live in my Manor?" he asked suddenly.

Miss Granger lifted her head up to look at him. "You let the kids who have no homes use it."

Draco was taken aback by that statement, surprised he would ever do something so generous.

"Anna said I had lots of money, why don't we use it?"

"Materials are just that, dear. It doesn't buy you love. We're usually quite happy without a load of junk hanging around."

"So, I just… hoard it?"

"You're saving it for the future of our kids."

Draco nodded, content with that.

"Anymore questions?" Miss Granger asked when he had been quiet for a while.

"Before we were married, was I… intolerable?"

She laughed. "You were a complete horse's ass!"

"So… what made you fall for me?"

Miss Granger tilted her head, considering his question. "I guess… you took the time to show me that you were more than just a cruel, lonely Grinch." She pulled him up from the sofa. "Come on, it's late, we should get to bed."

"Wait," he stopped her, pulling her close. Their eyes met, and his lips twitched nervously.

"What is it, hon?"

"I feel strange when I'm around you. I've never felt this way before."

"Like you can't get enough of me?"

He nodded, puzzled over the feeling.

Miss Granger leaned forward, touching her lips to his, ever so softly. A fire blazed up in his gut, and his knees felt like they had turned to jelly. "That's what we call love, Draco," she murmured against him before deepening her kiss.


	7. The Magic of Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it! Hope you enjoyed this year's Christmas story! Have an awesome holiday! See you in the new year!

Draco stirred awake, smelling the familiar aroma of a good, hot breakfast. He bolted up, squinting his eyes at the bright, white glow of the snowy fields outside.

"Merry Christmas, sir!" Dobby greeted, setting a food tray onto the cubby next to his bed.

Draco closed his eyes, giving his head a little shake. "I had the strangest dream…"

"Dream, sir?"

He took a bite of his toast. "Yeah," he said slowly, thinking over his dream. It had been such a lovely dream, filled with incredible bliss. Better than he had ever felt in his life.

"What was it about, master?"

"I had a… family…" He set the toast down. Suddenly he wasn't so hungry anymore. Actually, he felt rather lonely and sad. He was missing something in his life, he realized.

"Are you sure it was a dream, sir?" Dobby questioned.

Draco eyed him over, finding his question strange. The house elf smiled with a twinkle in his eye.

"Dobby thought he heard you talking with someone this early morning."

" _Mother_ …" Draco whispered, flipping the covers off of him and slipping into his slippers. He raced down to his study where he remembered seeing her for the first time since her death.

"Mother…?" Draco called out. He did not get an answer.

"Dobby, I want you to fetch Hermione Granger's address," he ordered the elf who had followed him to the study.

The house elf smiled and bowed low. "As you wish, sir."

An hour later, he stood on the front stoop of Miss Granger's home. It was tiny, yet he could see himself living here— if she were living with him.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself for the upcoming confrontation. Draco knocked on the door, announcing his arrival.

Ron Weasley answered the door. When his eyes set on to him, the bulky man displayed a scowl. "What do you want?" he snarled.

"I'd like to speak with Miss Granger."

"You're the last person she wishes to talk to, let alone on Christmas Eve! You've done enough damage, don't you think?"

"And that's why I'm here. I'd like to patch some things up."

Weasley grunted, but he turned around, calling out for Miss Granger. "Hermione! Scrooge McGrinch is here!"

"I deserve that," Draco said, chuckling uneasily.

"You won't hear any arguments from me!"

Miss Granger appeared then, squeezing her way between Weasley and the door. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she instantly crossed her arms over her chest. "Shouldn't you be off stealing Christmas?"

"I'd like to give you my sincerest apologies for the way I have acted. It seems I have been a bit too Scoogey lately."

Miss Granger shifted her feet, softening her stance some, yet not quite trusting of him. "Go on," she permitted him to further explain his reasoning for his visit.

"I wanted you to be the first to know that I have given everyone their well-earned Christmas bonuses and tripled the amount for the trouble I have caused."

Her eyes widened in mere shock over Draco's announcement, but they quickly retracted when she become suspicious of him. "What has changed your mind so suddenly…?"

"I had a little taste of the holiday spirit, and I learned that I really quite like it."

He earned a smile for that. "You really _are_ Scrooge McGrinch, aren't you? You've changed overnight, just like the characters in the stories?"

He laughed, thinking about the story he had read to his family in the glimpse that he had been given. "I suppose so. Well," he said, pausing, noticing that she was shivering. Draco didn't want her catching cold. "Merry Christmas, Miss Granger." He turned and began walking away.

"Wait!"

"Yeah?"

She lifted her heels up, looking away for a moment before eyeing him over. The corner of her mouth tugged to the side. "Would you like to come over for Christmas dinner?"

It took Draco all his control to keep from screaming out yes! His heart beat began pounding against his chest. He glanced at the house, seeing the red headed man peeping out at them from a window, watching them closely.

"I wouldn't want to impose on you and your boyfriend."

Miss Granger laughed, waving the mentioning of Weasley off. "Oh, he _wishes_ we were an item! We're just friends though!"

Draco tilted his head. "Are you _sure_ you want me over for dinner?"

Her heels lifted off the ground again. She gave him a tiny shrug. "I'm just interested in how much of that holiday cheer you plan on passing around. I'm deeply intrigued by your sudden change of heart. I'd like to see if the holiday spirit really can change someone overnight."

Draco stepped forward, closing up the gap between them a little. "I want you to come back to work with me. As my partner. I'd like to give you half of my business," he decided right then.

She took half a step back and gaped at him. "You're _serious_?! This isn't some sick, twisted joke you've planned?!"

Draco shook his head. "Not at all. Our sales were up 300% during your employment, and you had some excellent ideas to introduce. I was just too much of a horse's ass to consider them."

She placed her hand to her chest in absolute disbelief. She continued to gawk at him, all words were lost.

"You'll accept?" Draco asked when she kept staring at him.

"Of _course_ I'll accept! _Thank_ you!" Miss Granger's eyes lit up with excitement, and she crashed into him, hugging him. "You have no idea what this means to me!" she said with a crack to her voice. "I've _always_ wanted to run a business! I… I don't know what else to say…!"

Draco got a little dizzy from the wave of emotions flooding through his body. He pulled from her, giving her a tiny smile. "How about just wishing me a Happy Christmas? That's all I could ask for."

She laughed, dabbing at the corners of her teary eyes. "Happy Christmas, Mr. Malfoy!"


End file.
